Energy-efficient high-speed links allow for high-speed transmission of data between computer devices (e.g., between integrated circuits) during active operating periods while conserving energy during inactive operating periods in computer network technologies (e.g., Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE), according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3az-2010 standard, and Energy Efficient Fibre Channel (FC-EE), according to the emerging Fibre Channel-Framing and Signaling (FC-FS)-4 standard). Both of these standards allow a high-speed link (hereinafter referred to as the link) to operate in a low power idle (LPI) mode (also referred to herein as a low power operating mode or a reduced power operating mode) and, specifically, allow the circuitry on opposite sides of the link (i.e., on the transmitter-side and the receiver-side) to operate at a lower or reduced power in order to save energy when no data frames are being transferred across the link from the transmitter to the receiver. In order to enable this LPI mode, both of these standards include transmitter and receiver state diagrams that indicate when the transmitter and receiver-sides of the link should be in the LPI mode and when they should not be in the LPI mode. While such state diagrams indicate when the transmitter and receiver-sides of the link should or should not be in the LPI mode, neither standard adequately provides for the required signal timing and stability control needed to ensure maximum energy savings without performance degradation.